Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba may be one of the most exciting prospects on the planet but needs time to grow into a complete player, according to club legend Alessandro Del Piero.

The Frenchman, who was given the famous No 10 shirt after Carlos Tevez's return to Boca Juniors in June, has failed to replicate the same performances that helped the Old Lady to a fourth consecutive Scudetto last term.

Much of that has been down to the departures of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal to New York City and Bayern Munich in the summer, with the 22-year-old also being deployed further up the field.

Juventus' Paul Pogba can become a complete player, according to Alessandro Del Piero

And Del Piero, who wore the No 10 shirt and made 705 appearances for the Italian giants, believes Pogba needs time to adapt into his new position.

'When we think of the Juventus No 10, we imagine a complete player,' the 41-year-old told Sky Sport Italia.

'But today, Pogba isn't yet - he's an atypical No 10. You have to give him a bit of time to grow even more.'

Del Piero says that Pogba is one of the most exciting prospects on the planet

Despite their football winning plenty of plaudits last campaign, Massimiliano Allegri has found things tough in his second season in Turin.

His side reached the Champions League final in May, but Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Sevilla coupled with Manchester City's 4-2 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach means they now face a difficult draw for the last 16.

Alessandro Del Piero wore the famous No 10 shirt during his time at Juventus

And, though they possess the likes of Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic, Del Piero is unsure whether they can hit the same heights as last term.

'I don't know if Juventus will return to the Champions League final,' he said.

The Old Lady have not won the tournament since 1996, where Marcello Lippi guided the club to victory over Louis van Gaal's Ajax in the final via a penalty shoot-out.